Homeland Security
Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report
5 December 2011
Top Stories
•
Power restoration was slowed to 400,000 customers in California, as continuing severe
winds in that state and many neighboring states closed schools and flipped dozens of semitrucks. – United Press International (See item 1)
•
A Baltimore County, Maryland man pleaded guilty to possessions of firearms and
explosives, after police found C-4, chemicals and items used to build improvised explosive
devices, and several guns in his apartment. – Baltimore Sun (See item 36)
Fast Jump Menu
PRODUCTION INDUSTRIES
• Energy
• Chemical
• Nuclear Reactors, Materials and Waste
• Critical Manufacturing
• Defense Industrial Base
• Dams
SUSTENANCE and HEALTH
• Agriculture and Food
• Water
• Public Health and Healthcare
SERVICE INDUSTRIES
• Banking and Finance
• Transportation
• Postal and Shipping
• Information Technology
• Communications
• Commercial Facilities
FEDERAL and STATE
• Government Facilities
• Emergency Services
• National Monuments and Icons
Energy Sector
Current Electricity Sector Threat Alert Levels: Physical: LOW, Cyber: LOW
Scale: LOW, GUARDED, ELEVATED, HIGH, SEVERE [Source: ISAC for the Electricity Sector (ES-ISAC) [http://www.esisac.com]
1. December 2, United Press International – (California; Southwest) Strong winds keep
400,000 without power. Severe winds and fallen trees slowed power restoration to
400,000 customers as abnormally high Santa Ana winds blasted the Los Angeles area a
third day December 2. The winds, gusting around 60 mph, were forecast to continue
through midday in Los Angeles and Ventura counties in California, after reaching 97
mph December 1, the National Weather Service said. In many cities, schools were
expected to be canceled for a second day December 1 due to the fierce winds, which
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gusted to more than 80 mph overnight. The storm, which produced some of the
strongest wind gusts in the region in more than a decade, was caused by a highly
unusual weather system. The blustery conditions extended across the Southwest,
including Utah, Nevada, Wyoming, Arizona, and New Mexico. In some places, wind
gusts topped 100 mph.
Source: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2011/12/02/Strong-winds-keep-400000without-power/UPI-62111322818200/
2. December 1, United Press International – (National) Satellite gives good news on air
pollution. An instrument on a NASA satellite has confirmed major reductions in air
pollution by coal power plants in the eastern United States, researchers said. The Ozone
Monitoring Instrument on the Aura satellite saw reductions in sulfur dioxide, a key air
pollutant that contributes to the formation of acid rain and can cause serious health
problems, a NASA release said December 1. About two-thirds of sulfur dioxide
pollution in American air comes from coal power plants, the agency said. The new
measurements demonstrate scientists can use satellites to measure levels of harmful
emissions throughout the world, even in regions without adequate ground monitoring
systems, researchers said. Scientists said the decline in sulfur dioxide can be traced to
the Clean Air Interstate Rule of 2005 enacted by the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency that called for deep cuts in sulfur dioxide emissions.
Source: http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2011/12/01/Satellite-gives-good-news-onair-pollution/UPI-39771322777569/
For more stories, see items 14 and 21
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Chemical Industry Sector
3. December 2, KOLN 10 Lincoln – (Nebraska) HazMat team responds to chlorine gas
leak in Lincoln. After several hours, Lincoln Fire and Rescue (LFR) cleaned up a
chlorine gas leak at a Lincoln, Nebraska mill. The LFR battalion chief said the
department was called to the ADM Mill near 6th and South streets just after 9 p.m.
December 1. She said the leak sparked a full haz-mat team response. Crews shut off the
tank and stopped the leak by about 1 a.m. December 2, the battalion chief said. There
was no threat to the community from the leak.
Source:
http://www.1011now.com/home/headlines/HazMat_Team_Responds_to_Clorine_Spill
_in_Lincoln_134894623.html
4. December 1, Tacoma News Tribune – (Washington) State ecology fines BNSF $3k for
hazardous February spill at Chambers Bay in University Place; says responders
were put in jeopardy. The Washington Department of Ecology fined BNSF Railway
$3,000 for spilling 150 gallons of liquid sodium hydroxide in a Pierce County
derailment last February. On February 26, 13 rail cars derailed near Chambers Bay
Golf Course in University Place. Four of the 15,000-gallon capacity derailed cars were
fully loaded with 50 percent sodium hydroxide solution, the department said in a press
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release December 1. Sodium hydroxide, which is also called lye or caustic soda, is a
highly corrosive chemical, the department stated. The material is used in the production
of pulp and paper, textiles, soaps and detergents, and is also used as a drain cleaner.
Three of the cars landed on the Puget Sound shoreline, with one spilling 50 gallons of
chemical on the beach. The department noted the spill area was washed by several tidal
cycles before the offending car was removed after 4 days. On March 1, another 100
gallons of sodium hydroxide spilled when equipment operators lost control of a
damaged rail car as it was being removed. Along with the fine, the department billed
BNSF $6,370 to reimburse the state for its costs in responding to the incident. The
department noted a lack of coordination with emergency responders that put crews in
jeopardy. The company has been asked to submit a report describing how the railway
will better coordinate with incident responders during the spill of hazardous materials.
Source: http://blog.thenewstribune.com/business/2011/12/01/state-ecology-fines-bnsf3k-for-hazardous-february-spill-at-chambers-bay-in-university-place-says-responderswere-put-in-jeopardy/
5. December 1, U.S. Department of Labor – (Rhode Island) U.S. Labor Department's
OSHA proposes $72,900 in fines for East Boston, Mass., painting contractor for
violations at North Kingstown, R.I., shipyard. A Boston painting contractor faces
$72,900 in fines from the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
after one of its employees lost consciousness while working in a confined space in a
North Kingstown, Rhode Island shipyard. AMEX Inc. was cited for 13 alleged
violations of workplace safety standards after the May 26 incident at the Senesco
Marine LLC shipyard. The employee was overcome by vapors while spray painting
inside a tugboat and had to be rescued by the North Kingstown Fire Department. The
work area was a confined space and the inspection by the OSHA found Amex failed to
institute and follow all required precautions. Specifically, it found AMEX did not
adequately check for hazardous conditions inside the confined space, did not test the
atmosphere for toxic or flammable vapors before the worker entered, and did not
provide confined space training. Also, AMEX failed to supply workers with the proper
respiratory protection, appropriate respirator fit-testing, and intrinsically safe
ventilation equipment. As a result, the OSHA cited 12 serious violations. A serious
violation occurs when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical
harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have
known.
Source:
http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEAS
ES&p_id=21447
For more stories, see items 6, 15, and 20
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Nuclear Reactors, Materials and Waste Sector
Nothing to report
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Critical Manufacturing Sector
6. December 2, Associated Press – (International) Honda recalls 304,000 vehicles
worldwide for air-bag problem. Honda Motor Co. December 2 announced a recall of
304,000 vehicles globally for air-bags that may inflate with too much pressure in a
crash, send metal and plastic pieces flying, and cause injuries or deaths. Honda said
there have been 20 accidents so far related to this problem, including two deaths in the
United States in 2009. The recall affects 273,000 Accord, Civic, Odyssey, Pilot, CR-V,
and other models in the U.S., manufactured in 2001 and 2002. The latest recall is an
expansion of recalls for the same problem in 2008, 2009, and 2010. A Honda
spokesman said the cause for the latest recall was the use of incorrect material in the
chemical used to deploy air bags.
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/02/honda-recallsairbags_n_1124859.html
7. December 1, U.S. Department of Labor – (Rhode Island) U.S. Labor Department's
OSHA cites North Kingstown, RI, shipyard for repeat and serious safety hazards,
proposes more than $62,000 in fines. The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational
Safety and Health Administration December 1 cited Senesco Marine LLC for alleged
serious and repeat violations of workplace safety standards. The North Kingstown,
Rhode Island, shipyard faces a total of $62,700 in proposed fines for eight serious and
one repeat violation due to mechanical, electrical, and exit hazards at the shipyard. The
shipyard manufactures fuel and chemical barges and tugboats, as well as offering ship
repair services.
Source:
http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEAS
ES&p_id=21453
8. November 30, U.S. Department of Transportation – (National) NHTSA recall notice Toyota Sienna incorrect vehicle load labels. Toyota announced a recall November 20
of 210,000 model year 2011 through 2012 Sienna vehicles for failing to comply with
the requirement for displaying the correct vehicle capacity weight as the rated load for
the combination of cargo and occupants. Incorrect information on the vehicle placard
may lead to tire overloading and possibly cause tire failure increasing the risk of a
crash. Toyota will mail out a corrected placard to customers along with revised owner
manual information.
Source: http://wwwodi.nhtsa.dot.gov/recalls/recallresults.cfm?start=1&SearchType=QuickSearch&rcl_ID=
11V560000&summary=true&prod_id=975778&PrintVersion=YES
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Defense Industrial Base Sector
Nothing to report
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Banking and Finance Sector
9. December 2, WYMT 12 Hazard – (Kentucky; Tennessee) Police: 'Bad Hair Bandit'
strikes again. Police said a man came into the L&N Credit Union inside a Walmart in
Williamsburg, Kentucky and robbed it at gunpoint December 1. Now, police think the
so-called "Bad Hair Bandit" is responsible, a man already tied to six bank robberies in
Kentucky, and Tennessee. Police said the suspect showed a semi-automatic weapon
and walked away with an undisclosed amount of money. Since June, the "Bad Hair
Bandit" has hit two banks in Barbourville, two in Tennessee, one in McCreary County,
and one in Corbin. A police assistant chief said the department had guarded against a
possible strike by the "Bad Hair Bandit," at other locations, but did not expect the
suspect to target this bank inside a busy Walmart store. "This was high risk with several
people around," he said.
Source:
http://www.wkyt.com/wymtnews/headlines/Bad_Hair_Bandit_strikes_again_13488306
3.html
10. December 1, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission – (National) SEC charges
multiple hedge fund managers with fraud in inquiry targeting suspicious
investment returns. As part of an initiative to combat hedge fund fraud by identifying
abnormal investment performance, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
December 1 announced enforcement actions against three separate advisory firms and
six individuals for various misconduct, including improper use of fund assets,
fraudulent valuations, and misrepresenting fund returns. In particular, the SEC alleges
the firms and managers engaged in a wide variety of illegal practices in the
management of hedge funds or private pooled investment vehicles, including fraudulent
valuation of portfolio holdings, misuse of fund assets, and misrepresentations to
investors about critical attributes such as performance, assets, liquidity, investment
strategy, valuation procedures, and conflicts of interest. In one case, the SEC charged
two individuals for engaging in a fraudulent scheme to overvalue the reported returns
and net asset value of the Millennium Global Emerging Credit Fund. The complaint
alleges the fund’s former portfolio manager schemed with two European-based brokers
to inflate the fund’s reported monthly returns and net asset value by manipulating its
supposedly independent valuation process. The scheme caused the fund to drastically
overvalue security holdings by as much as $163 million in August 2008. By overstating
the fund’s returns and overall net asset value, the manager was able to attract at least
$410 million in new investments, deter about $230 million in eligible redemptions, and
generate millions of dollars in inflated management and performance fees. The other
actions were brought against ThinkStrategy Capital Management and its sole director,
Solaris Management LLC and its owner, and LeadDog Capital Markets LLC and its
general partners and owners.
Source: http://www.sec.gov/news/press/2011/2011-252.htm
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11. December 1, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission – (National) SEC, U.S.
attorney and FBI announce 13 charged in connection with securities kickback
schemes. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), U.S. Attorney for the
District of Massachusetts, and FBI December 1 announced parallel cases filed in
federal court against many corporate officers, lawyers, and a stock promoter alleging
they used kickbacks and other schemes to trigger investments in various thinly traded
stocks. The case charged 13 defendants who engaged in criminal activity in the midst
of an undercover FBI operation. According to the charges, the schemes involved secret
kickbacks to an investment fund representative in exchange for having the fund buy
stock in certain companies; the kickbacks were to be concealed through the use of sham
consulting agreements. What the insiders and promoters did not know was the
purported investment fund representative was actually an undercover agent. The
defendants include two individuals who were in the business of finding capital for
emerging companies. The civil case names some of the individuals who were charged
criminally, and the SEC also issued trading suspensions in the stocks of many of the
companies involved. The charges follow a year-long investigation focusing on
preventing fraud in micro-cap stock markets. The SEC suspended trading in seven
microcap firms: 1st Global Financial Inc., Augrid Global Holdings Corp., ComCam
International, Inc., MicroHoldings US, Inc., Outfront Companies, Symbollon
Corp./Symbollon Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and ZipGlobal Holdings Inc. MicroHoldings
and ZipGlobal are also charged civilly by the SEC with fraud. The SEC also filed civil
charges of securities fraud against four of the defendants alleging they defrauded
investors through the use of kickbacks in financing transactions.
Source: http://www.sec.gov/news/press/2011/2011-251.htm
12. December 1, Miami Herald – (Florida) Two more Scott Rothstein associates charged
in massive scam. Two employees of a convicted Ponzi schemer's Fort Lauderdale,
Florida law firm were charged December 1 with offenses related to his $1.2 billion
investment scam that collapsed 2 years ago, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
One employee was charged in federal court with conspiring with the Ponzi schemer by
falsifying the law firm’s trust account records that it held at Toronto Dominion Bank.
The second employee was charged with conspiring with the head of the firm and other
employees in an election scheme to donate more than $1 million to a presidential
campaign and Republican political committees in 2008. The charges against the two
administrative assistants bring the total number of employees and others prosecuted in
the massive scheme to eight, including the head of the firm. He is serving a 50-year
sentence on racketeering, fraud, and money-laundering convictions.
Source: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/12/01/2526684/two-more-scott-rothsteinassociates.html
For another story, see item 34
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Transportation Sector
13. December 2, Chicago Tribune – (Illinois) Metra delays, traffic closures end after
freight train derailment. A freight train derailed on a viaduct at 47th Street and
Archer Avenue in Chicago, the morning of December 2, delaying Metra trains on the
Heritage Corridor line, and blocking traffic. WGN 9 Chicago video showed about a
half dozen derailed freight cars, with one car leaning over the overpass. The leaning car
bore the markings of the intermodal transportation company J.B. Hunt. Metra did not
anticipate afternoon delays, and the intersection of 47th and Archer reopened by a little
after noon, officials said. The cars were carrying office supplies, a Chicago Fire
Department spokesman said. A crane would have to upright the derailed cars, he said.
A BNSF Railway Co. spokeswoman said the train was departing the company's
Corwith Yard when a stacked car derailed on the Archer Avenue bridge. The cause of
the derailment, which occurred about 6:40 a.m., is under investigation, she said. The
Chicago Transit Authority rerouted its No. 62 Archer buses in both directions via 47th,
Lawndale, 51st, Kedzie, and 47th, due to street blockage. Reroutes were no longer in
effect by about noon.
Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-freight-trainderailment-blocks-metras-heritage-line-20111202,0,4632473.story
14. December 1, The Salt Lake Tribune – (Utah) Winds buffet Utah, toppling trucks,
trees, power lines. Hurricane-force winds topping 100 mph in some places ripped
through Utah December 1, overturning semi-trailer rigs on Interstate 15, toppling trees
and triggering widespread power outages affecting nearly 50,000 homes and
businesses. The Utah Highway Patrol reported 16 semis overturned by the wind on the
state’s highways December 1, including three on Legacy Parkway and 10 more on
Interstate 15 in Davis County, where winds lashed at 102 mph. None of the drivers
suffered more than minor injuries.
Source: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/53027231-78/thursday-power-utahogden.html.csp
15. December 1, Amarillo Globe-News – (Texas) Report: Sept. rail car fire caused $1M
in damage. A September 16 rail car explosion that sent flames soaring hundreds of feet
into the air caused nearly $1 million in equipment and yard damages, according to a
recently submitted report by the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) rail yard in
Texas. The Amarillo Globe-News reported December 1 the fire that forced about 200
people to evacuate homes, businesses, and schools for nearly 3 hours caused about
$853,000 in equipment damage, and $93,000 in yard damage. A BNSF spokesman said
an employee was operating a remote-control car when one car jumped, causing the
car’s connecting device — called a coupler — to puncture a neighboring car loaded
with pentane. The impact caused the pentane car to leak and catch fire, he said. BNSF’s
report states two locomotives and 26 cars were involved in the accident. Of all the cars,
14 were carrying hazardous material, four were damaged, and one car released the
hazardous material. In meetings with city and county officials to discuss response,
BNSF officials revealed the cars normally roll at 4 to 5 mph, but the connecting car
may have been traveling at about 8 to 9 mph, said the emergency management
coordinator for Amarillo and Potter and Randall counties. He said while the response
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was generally good, it would have helped if authorities had a map of the railyard,
including the seven muster stations.
Source: http://amarillo.com/news/local-news/2011-12-01/report-sept-fire-caused-1mdamage#.Ttj48VZinus
For more stories, see items 1, 4, and 7
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Postal and Shipping Sector
16. December 1, Associated Press – (Alabama) Man fires shots in Montgomery post
office; no one injured. A gunman armed with several pistols fired off multiple shots at
a large mail processing area at Montgomery, Alabama's main post office December 1,
but injured no one and was quickly taken into custody, police said. It was unclear how
many shots the man fired inside the center that processes mail for Alabama’s capital
city. Employees were allowed back in the building at about 8 p.m. About 200
employees work at the post office located in a commercial area of the city, next to
Auburn University’s Montgomery campus.
Source: http://blog.al.com/wire/2011/12/man_fires_shot_in_montgomery_p.html
17. December 1, WJLA 7 Washington D.C. – (District of Columbia) Postal Service
employee robbed, locked in truck. A U.S. Postal Service employee was robbed and
locked in his postal truck in the northwest section of Washington D.C. December 1, and
inspectors said this is the latest in a string of robberies targeting postal employees over
the past few months. Police said the postal worker was on his daily rounds when an
armed, masked man demanded cash, money orders, and everything else the man had.
The suspect then locked the worker inside the truck and escaped. The worker was freed
about 25 minutes later.
Source: http://www.wjla.com/articles/2011/12/postal-service-employee-robbed-lockedin-truck-69844.html
[Return to top]
Agriculture and Food Sector
18. December 2, Food Safety News – (California) E. coli contaminated egg nog
recalled. Cal Poly Creamery of San Luis Obispo, California, is recalling its quart-sized
bottles of Farmstead Made Eggnog after a sample was found to be contaminated with
E. coli, Food Safety News reported December 2. The contamination was noted
November 30 after routine testing at the creamery, which is run by California
Polytechnic State University, the college reported on its Web site. Production of Cal
Poly eggnog has been suspended while the California Department of Food and
Agriculture and the Cal Poly Creamery continue their investigation into the cause of the
problem. Cal Poly has engaged an independent laboratory to conduct more analysis to
determine the specific strain of E. coli present. The recalled product may have been
purchased at several California retailers.
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Source: http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2011/12/e-coli-contaminated-egg-nogrecalled/
19. December 2, Food Safety News – (Illinois; Missouri) Salmonella test prompts grape
tomato recall. Front Row Produce of St. Louis is recalling 10-ounce pint and 10-pound
bulk grape tomatoes supplied by Rio Queen Citrus of Mission, Texas, because they
may be contaminated with Salmonella, Food Safety News reported December 2. The
tomatoes were distributed throughout Missouri and Illinois to food service distributors
and retail stores. The contamination was noted after random testing by Rio Queen
Citrus revealed the presence of Salmonella in some 20-pound bulk containers.
Production of the tomatoes has been suspended while the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration and the company continue their investigation into the source of the
problem. The recalled tomatoes for retail sale are in a 10-ounce, clear plastic package
with a Front Row Produce "Grape Tomatoes" label on the top.
Source: http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2011/12/salmonella-test-prompts-to-grapetomato-recall/
[Return to top]
Water Sector
20. December 1, Anderson Independent Mail – (South Carolina) Twelve Mile Creek
needs more work. Work to restore Twelve Mile Creek after decades of contamination
by a Pickens, South Carolina, capacitors plant is far from over, a federal official told
Pickens County residents December 1. A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
project manager for the Sangamo Weston Superfund site said his agency intends to test
flood plains along a 2-mile stretch of the creek this year for the presence of
polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB). He added that by this time next year, his agency will
also know the extent of safety concerns that may remain in the waterway. Tests
sponsored by the county government and a group of environmental organizations this
past spring found PCBs in the creek bed. The former Sangamo Weston capacitors plant
in Pickens dumped more than 400,000 pounds of PCBs into Town Creek between 1955
and 1978, the manager said. Town Creek flowed into Twelve Mile, which carried PCBcontaminated sediment to Hartwell Lake. Two dams removed earlier this year, known
as Woodside I and Woodside II, blocked Twelve Mile Creek at two spots near the
Cateechee community. Their removal was part of an agreement years in the making to
restore the creek to its natural flow, a move meant to allow sediments to flow
downstream and bury PCBs that had tumbled into Hartwell Lake decades before. The
project manager said the vast majority of PCBs that Sangamo Weston dumped into the
environment are at the bottom of Hartwell Lake, buried too deep to ever be a concern
again.
Source: http://www.independentmail.com/news/2011/dec/01/twelve-mile-creek-needsmore-work/
21. December 1, KUSA 9 Denver – (Colorado) EPA: Benzene levels in creek 400 times
that of drinking water standards. An oil leak from a Commerce City, Colorado
refinery is spilling a dangerous cancer-causing chemical into a nearby creek. The U.S.
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Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said benzene levels in Sand Creek were 400
times the amount for drinking water standards. The partial results are from five samples
taken at various locations along the creek near the Suncor Energy plant. The EPA
thinks the test results are further proof the leak is a refined gasoline of some type. So
far, no public health warnings have been issued, but the EPA is urging people not to
drink water in Sand Creek. EPA lab results released December 1 show benzene
concentrations ranging from 2,000 parts per billion (ppb) around the location of the
seep, and 480 ppb where the creek enters the South Platte River. The national drinking
water standard is 5 ppb. Some of the oil got nto the South Platte. Suncor said its 60person emergency response team was able to contain the spill. The Colorado
Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) issued a written order
demanding Suncor follow orders to have the seep cleaned up by March 1, 2012. The
CDPHE said it also is ordering Suncor to perform daily inspections sampling the air
inside the nearby Denver Metro Wastewater Treatment Plant as well as the creek. The
CDPHE said it is talking to the attorney general about possible enforcement action
against Suncor over the incident.
Source: http://www.9news.com/news/article/233240/222/EPA-Benzene-levels-increek-400-times-that-of-standards
22. November 30, Associated Press – (Texas) NASA satellites find Texas groundwater
at record low, will take months or years to replenish. An historic drought has
depleted Texas aquifers to lows rarely seen since 1948, and it could take months — or
even years — for groundwater supplies to fully recharge, scientists who study NASA
satellite data said November 30. The Associated Press reported that data compiled by
NASA satellites combined with information from the University of Nebraska’s
National Drought Mitigation Center confirm fears the 14-month drought has
significantly hurt aquifers. “We can say with more confidence that yes, the
groundwater storage is being reduced,” said a drought center climatologist. Texas has
received a little more than 12 inches of rain this year, which is 15.5 inches below
normal, a Texas climatologist said. He noted that despite some recent rain, the deficit
has actually grown since last month by about an inch. The longer the drought persists,
the more the groundwater is depleted — not only because rain is not recharging the
aquifers, but also because more people are using that water. As the aquifers are
depleted, some people may have to drill deeper wells, scientists said. Some recent rains
appear to have improved the soil quality in parts of Texas, but it will take much more to
recharge the aquifers.
Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/nasa-satellites-find-texasgroundwater-at-record-low-will-take-months-or-years-toreplenish/2011/11/30/gIQAnpDvDO_story.html
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Public Health and Healthcare Sector
Nothing to report
[Return to top]
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Government Facilities Sector
23. December 2, KAAL 6 Austin – (Minnesota) Teacher's lab experiment ignites Maple
Grove student's face. A teenager remained hospitalized late December 1 after he and
three other students were burned during a science experiment at their Maple Grove,
Minnesota school earlier in the day. The 15-year-old boy was in the front row of his
science class at Maple Grove Junior High School as his teacher performed an
experiment with flammable liquids. The boy said he remembered his teacher dropping
a match into a jug containing methanol. The next thing he knew, liquid from the jug
was on him and it was burning. The other students had less severe injuries, and were
treated at an area hospital and released.
Source: http://kaaltv.com/article/stories/S2394992.shtml?cat=10728
For another story, see item 1
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Emergency Services Sector
24. December 2, Associated Press – (Texas) Three police officers struck, injured trying
to clear freeway accidents. Three Dallas, Texas police officers were hurt December 2
while trying to clear two unrelated Interstate 635-area wrecks on a rainy morning.
Police said two officers were injured around 2 a.m. when a tractor-trailer rig hit two
parked squad cars. Police said both officers were transported to Parkland Memorial
Hospital. No details were immediately released on their conditions. The second
accident happened around 2:30 a.m. when a stopped patrol car was hit from behind by
another vehicle. Police said the squad car's gas tank ruptured, leading to a hazardous
materials spill. One officer was transported to Parkland for observation.
Source: http://www.ktxs.com/news/29905851/detail.html
25. December 2, WMUR 9 Manchester – (New Hampshire) Ossipee jailbreak prompts
massive police search. A massive police search was under way December 1 for an
escaped prisoner from the Carroll County House of Corrections in Ossipee, New
Hampshire, according to local police. The police chief in neighboring Tamworth said
every available police unit, including police from Ossipee, Tamworth, Effingham,
Freedom, and state police, were responding. Officials said the escapee was believed to
be wearing a gray sweatshirt and gray sweatpants. He was being held while awaiting
trial for a burglary offense. Investigators said he was in the jail yard during his 30minute recreation time when he ran away. Police consider him to be dangerous.
Officials said he is 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 135 pounds. He has hazel eyes and
blond or strawberry blond hair. Maine State Police and the York County Sheriff's
Department in Maine have joined the search for the inmate.
Source: http://www.wmur.com/r/29900314/detail.html
26. December 2, Associated Press – (California) Federal jury indicts San Francisco drug
lab tech. A former technician at the San Francisco Police Department’s crime lab has
been charged in federal court with skimming cocaine from the lab, an allegation that
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forced its closure and the dismissal of hundreds of drug cases. A federal grand jury
indicted the technician December 1 on a felony count of acquiring a controlled
substance by subterfuge. Authorities said she took cocaine evidence from the lab while
working there in late 2009. State prosecutors declined to file criminal charges against
her, saying there was insufficient evidence she was stealing drugs she was supposed to
be testing. Her attorney said federal officials are overreaching in claiming jurisdiction
over the case. She was convicted of cocaine possession in San Mateo County, where
she lives.
Source:
http://www.salon.com/2011/12/02/federal_jury_indicts_san_francisco_drug_lab_tech/
27. December 1, KXTV 10 Sacramento – (California) 3 Tuolumne Co. sheriff's patrol
cars set on fire. Three Tuolumne County, California Sheriff's Department patrol cars
were purposely set on fire December 1, according to the sheriff. A Sonora Union
Democrat article stated a deputy at the Yaney Avenue sheriff's administration building
heard strange noises in the parking lot at the rear of the building and discovered
burning vehicles when he went to investigate. The Sonora Fire Department responded a
little after 3 a.m. and extinguished the flames. However, the cars, which cost about
$40,000 each, were destroyed, the sheriff said. Once the fire was out, investigators
discovered a private vehicle belonging to an unknown person parked between two
patrol cars. The sheriff said the fire was intentionally set and he therefore put in calls to
state and federal authorities to determine whether this could be considered "an act of
terrorism against the department." Agents with the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were investigating.
Source: http://www.news10.net/news/article/165855/2/3-Tuolomne-Co-Sheriffs-Deptpatrol-cars-set-afire?hpt=ju_bn6
28. December 1, WOAI 4 San Antonio – (Texas) Attempted police department hacking
traced to firehouse computer. Bandera County, Texas officials are investigating an
attempted hack into the police department's computer files. Officials said the attempted
hacking appeared to come from a computer in the Bandera firehouse. Right now, all
city departments run off the same server. The city will now consider setting up
departments on separate servers to increase security. Bandera officials have not said if
any sensitive information was compromised.
Source: http://www.woai.com/news/local/story/Attempted-police-department-hackingtraced-to/6MKPv_OiNUCKxol_lwg4Pg.cspx
29. November 30, Federal Computer Week – (National) Disaster drill detrailed by
disasters. The federal government’s annual nationwide disaster drill was a victim of
Mother Nature this year, as real-world recovery efforts for areas affected by tornadoes
and floods took priority over the exercise, according to a new audit. The Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) led the National Level Exercise (NLE) from
May 16 to 19 with a simulation of an earthquake in the Midwestern states. The annual
drill is mandated by Congress and directed by the White House, with numerous state
and local agencies participating as well. However, the weeks leading up to the exercise
were "a period of high-disaster activity," with tornadoes and floods affecting the states
and the FEMA region involved in the exercise, according to the audit from DHS’s
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acting inspector general. As a result, participation dropped, with four states and one
FEMA region canceling their involvement, and the exercise was scaled back as a
number of government employees were called to official recovery duties. As those
employees left, they were replaced by staffers who came less prepared, the audit states.
In addition, two other federal agencies did not participate in the drill or simulate their
activities, despite a requirement to do so. It was unclear whether this was due to realworld events or not, the report states. FEMA officials said there would be stronger
accountability measures for future drills. Overall, the impact of real-world disasters
hampered the play exercise, the auditors concluded. When asked about the effect of
real-world events on NLE 2011, a FEMA official said it was "immeasurable."
Source: http://fcw.com/articles/2011/11/30/national-level-exercise-audit.aspx
For more stories, see items 4 and 15
[Return to top]
Information Technology Sector
30. December 2, IDG News Service – (International) Yahoo Messenger flaw enables
spamming through other people's status messages. An unpatched Yahoo Messenger
vulnerability that allows attackers to change people's status messages and possibly
perform other unauthorized actions can be exploited to spam malicious links to a large
number of users, IDG News Service reported December 2. The vulnerability was
discovered in the wild by security researchers from antivirus vendor BitDefender while
investigating a customer's report about unusual Yahoo Messenger behavior. The flaw
appears to be located in the application's file transfer API (application programming
interface) and allows attackers to send malformed requests that result in the execution
of commands without any interaction from victims.
Source:
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9222360/Yahoo_Messenger_flaw_enables_sp
amming_through_other_people_s_status_messages?taxonomyId=17
31. December 2, Softpedia – (International) Cutwail botnet expands via Facebook
notification spam. Security experts noticed the botnet known as Pushdo or Cutwail,
that has been making rounds since 2007, is now launching a spam campaign in search
of new devices to infect, Softpedia reported December 2. Airline ticket orders, ACH
alerts, Facebook notifications, or even e-mails that claim to represent scanned
documents can actually hide malicious links that redirect users to malware hosted on
various Web locations, M86 Security Labs reported. The most dangerous variant is the
one that replicates a Facebook friend request. The e-mail only contains the name of a
user and two links, Confirm Friend Request, and See all Requests. When one of the
links is selected, the victim is taken to a rogue Web site that hosts malicious code. The
phony messages that claim an airplane ticket was purchased using the recipient’s credit
card are also utilized in this spam campaign. Again, when the More details link is
clicked, the user is taken to another malevolent site. The number of malicious sites is
very large and security solutions providers have a hard time making sure their products
block all of them. In some cases, the sites may even be legitimate, but forcefully taken
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over by the cybercriminals and plagued with the same pieces of malware. None of the
e-mails contains attachments. Instead, they all contain a link that points to a malware
infested site.
Source: http://news.softpedia.com/news/Cutwail-Botnet-Expands-Via-FacebookNotification-Spam-238075.shtml
32. December 1, Computerworld – (International) AT&T, Sprint confirm use of Carrier
IQ software on handsets. AT&T, Sprint, HTC, and Samsung confirmed December 1
their mobile phones integrate a controversial piece of tracking software from a
company called Carrier IQ. Wireless carriers AT&T and Sprint insisted the software is
being used solely to improve wireless network performance, while phone makers HTC
and Samsung said they were integrating the software into their handsets only because
their carrier customers were asking for it. Meanwhile, several large carriers and handset
makers, including Verizon, Research In Motion, and Nokia, distanced themselves from
the software and insisted that reports about their devices integrating the tool are false.
The controversy began the week of November 21 when an independent security
researcher published a report disclosing how Carrier IQ's software could be used by
carriers and device makers to conduct surreptitious and highly intrusive tracking of
Android and other smartphone users.
Source:
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9222319/AT_T_Sprint_confirm_use_of_Carri
er_IQ_software_on_handsets?taxonomyId=17
33. December 1, Infosecurity – (International) One-quarter of firms hit by cybercrime,
survey finds. Nearly a quarter of organizations around the world were victims of
cybercrime in the last 12 months, according to PricewaterhouseCooper’s (PwC) 2011
Global Economic Crime Survey. Cybercrime now ranks as one of the top four
economic crimes, according to the survey. The perception of cybercrime as a
predominantly external threat is changing, and organizations are now recognizing the
risk of cybercrime coming from inside as well. PwC surveyed 3,877 respondents from
78 countries for its annual economic crime survey. The director of PwC’s UK cyber
and information security practice noted that 40 percent of the organizations surveyed
cited damage to reputation as a major concern from cybercrime, and this concern is
triggering increased spending on preventative measures. Respondents said the IT
department was the most likely source of cybercrime internally. IT was cited by 53
percent of respondents, followed by operations (39 percent), sales and marketing (34
percent), and finance (33 percent). While half of all respondents noted increased
awareness of the cybercrime threat, the majority of respondents said they do not have a
cybercrime crisis response plan in place or are not aware of having one. Sixty percent
said their organization does not monitor social media sites.
Source: http://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/view/22389/onequarter-of-firms-hitby-cybercrime-survey-finds/
34. November 30, Infosecurity – (International) Trusteer warns that cybercriminals are
moving into fresh one-stop crime areas. Research published November 30 by
Trusteer claims to show cybercriminals have widened the services they provide as a
one-stop-shop to third-party fraudsters. According to the in-browser security
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specialist’s chief technology officer, these one-stop shops are where criminals can buy
everything they need to meet demand from fraudsters. Trusteer has come across a new
fraud group that — as well as offering infection services for prices between 0.5 and 4.5
cents for each upload, depending on geography — also provides polymorphic
encryption, and AV checkers. This new one-stop-shop approach for malicious services,
he asserts, is a natural evolution of the market: if the customers need to infect, then they
also need to evade AV. For polymorphic encryption of malware, he said, the fraudsters
are charging from $25 to $50 — and for prevention of malware detection by anti-virus
systems (AV checking) they charge $20 for 1 week, and $100 for 1 month of service.
The chief technology officer said it is now a buyer’s market, with his firm’s research
operation having also come across advertisements published by prospective buyers of
infection services. The ad, he noted, basically presets the buying price, how it is
charged, and the scope of the service, with the advertiser only paying for unique
uploads, with the price calculations being conducted according to the advertiser's own
Black Hole exploit kit stats module. In addition, Trusteer said the advertiser will pay in
advance to the sellers with recommendations, that is, those that have 1-10 "fresh"
forum messages, otherwise the sellers are paid afterwards.
Source: http://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/view/22355/trusteer-warns-thatcybercriminals-are-moving-into-fresh-onestop-crime-areas/
Internet Alert Dashboard
To report cyber infrastructure incidents or to request information, please contact US-CERT at sos@us-cert.gov or
visit their Web site: http://www.us-cert.gov
Information on IT information sharing and analysis can be found at the IT ISAC (Information Sharing and
Analysis Center) Web site: https://www.it-isac.org
[Return to top]
Communications Sector
35. December 1, Examiner.com – (California) Metal thieves take KVCR-TV off the
air. A metal theft at a Riverside County, California mountaintop antenna site knocked
KVCR 24 San Bernadino off the air until repairs are completed. The theft was the
second incident since the weekend of November 26 and 27. Both thefts hit the station’s
remote-controlled transmitter on Box Springs Mountain that overlooks Moreno Valley,
and the San Bernardino Valley. The station president said December 1, "The cost of the
repairs will exceed … $20,000," and added, 'We hope to be back up by this evening."
The initial theft damaged three air conditioners and a transmitter cooling system that
was not in use. The station was able to continue broadcasting after the first incident.
But in the November 30 incident, the thieves damaged the remaining cooling system
for the TV transmitter, which caused an automatic shutdown to prevent major
transmitter damage. "They had to have a big truck the second time, because they took
the coolant assembly. It’s like a (vehicle) radiator, and it’s full of copper tubing," the
station president said. The KVCR site is protected primarily by a locked gate across the
access road. There was no obvious damage to the gate or the locks, he said. But many
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people have access to the mountaintop because it also serves as an antenna site for
Riverside County government agencies and several broadcast companies, he said.
KVCR has almost 1 million viewers and its antenna shoots a broadcast signal as far as
Catalina Island. The thefts did not affect KVCR’s FM radio station, nor its six
microwave dishes also located at the site. "We’ll have a security system in place before
the weekend is out," the station president said. He also said it would include
surveillance cameras.
Source: http://www.examiner.com/city-buzz-in-riverside/metal-thieves-take-kvcr-tvoff-the-air
For another story, see item 32
[Return to top]
Commercial Facilities Sector
36. December 2, Baltimore Sun – (Maryland) Baltimore County man pleads guilty to
hoarding explosives. Police in Baltimore County, Maryland, who investigated a man
who shot a child in the leg with a pellet gun in February found a pile of guns,
ammunition, bombs, fuses, and metal pipes when they searched the man's apartment,
the Baltimore Sun reported December 2. The man pleaded guilty in federal court
December 1 to possession of firearms and explosives, and faces up to 20 years in prison
when he is sentenced March 1. Police said they found the following items in his
apartment: the BB gun used in the assault, a loaded 9mm handgun, a 12-gauge shotgun,
3 boxes of ammunition, handcuffs, brass knuckles, other BB guns and airsoft pistols,
and a stun gun. Police also observed "several improvised explosive devices, including:
C-4 explosive material; and a clear plastic container with gray powder and a M-800
pyrotechnic device inside, secured with a white lid with a burnt hole in the center."
Authorities searched the apartment a second time and said they found "items commonly
used in the production of illegal improvised explosives, including, among other things:
containers of potassium nitrate and potassium chlorate, smokeless shotgun powder,
model rocket igniters and motors, pool chemicals, various fuse materials, PVC and
metal pipe of varying lengths and pipe fittings."
Source:
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/crime/blog/2011/12/baltimore_county_man_ple
ads_gu.html
37. December 2, KDVR 31 Dever – (Colorado) Fire destroys Jehova's Witnesses
church. Fire destroyed a Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses church in Aurora,
Colorado, December 2. A firefighter on the scene said a motorist noticed smoke
coming from the building and called 911. There was not much damage visible from the
outside of the building, but firefighters said the inside is a total loss. They were still
mopping up more than 3 hours after the fire started. Arson investigators were called as
part of normal practice. It was too early in the investigation to know what started the
fire.
Source: http://www.kdvr.com/news/kdvr-fire-destroys-jehovas-witnesses-church-
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20111202,0,1010811.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&ut
m_campaign=Feed:+kdvr-news+(KDVR+-+Local+News)
38. December 2, WTAE 4 Pittsburgh – (Pennsylvania) Gas leak forces seniors into
cold. Residents of a West Deer, Pennsylvania apartment building were forced into the
cold because of a gas leak December 2. Residents reported a smell of gas at the West
Deer Senior High Rise. Dozens of residents were evacuated from their apartments and
into a bus to stay warm. Gas company workers discovered a pilot light on one of the
building's boilers had gone out during an overnight power outage. The building's
residents waited for close to 2 hours on the bus before being allowed back inside their
apartments.
Source: http://www.wtae.com/r/29905286/detail.html
39. December 1, Astoria Daily Astorian – (Oregon) State bomb squad disarms pipe
bomb in Gearhart. Oregon State Police diffused a pipe bomb found in a parking lot in
an industrial park in Gearhart December 1. The pipe bomb was a plastic pipe 6 to 8
inches long and 1.5 to 2 inches in diameter, said the president of Pacific Alarm
Systems, which is located in the park. The bomb had capped ends, with a hole drilled
through one end, and a fuse running from the hole. The Gearhart police chief said the
bomb contained powder similar to that found in a firecracker. He said the powder
would explode if put under pressure. The contents of a storage unit on the property had
been auctioned off recently, and the bomb may have come from that unit. Squad
members placed the bomb on a grassy area and sprayed it with a water jet with pressure
hard enough to break the pipe and dilute the powder.
Source: http://www.dailyastorian.com/free/state-bomb-squad-disarms-pipe-bomb-ingearhart/article_6c169440-1c77-11e1-81d3-0019bb2963f4.html
For more stories, see items 4 and 41
[Return to top]
National Monuments and Icons Sector
Nothing to report
[Return to top]
Dams Sector
40. December 2, Associated Press – (South Dakota) Flood-weary residents wary of
Corps plan to flush sediment out of Lewis and Clark Lake. Flood-weary residents
are expressing dismay about a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plan to bump up
Missouri River releases to flush sediment out of Lewis and Clark Lake above Gavins
Point Dam, near Yankton, South Dakota. The Yankton Press and Dakotan reported that
about 200 people attended a meeting November 30 in which the Corps discussed its
sediment study. Yankton residents suggested the Corps reconsider upping its releases to
176,000 cubic feet per second. The Corps hydrologic engineering branch chief said the
- 17 -
sediment study was not connected to this summer's flooding, and the agency did not
have the opportunity to take advantage of the historic releases to lower the lake.
Source:
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/a04c76d089a14b8c97aff8bc73941850/SD-Corps-Sediment-Study/
41. December 1, Riverside Press-Enterprise – (California) Environmental report on
seismic repairs to dam approved. State water officials adopted the final
environmental impact report on seismic repairs to the dam at Lake Perris near
Riverside, California. Work is expected to begin in 2014. A 2005 study by state
engineers found that the earthen dam would crumble during a 7.5-magnitude
earthquake and could release billions of gallons of water across western Riverside
County, from Lakeview to the Prado Dam near Corona. After that, the lake was
dropped 25 feet, reducing the number of boats that could use it until the work is
completed. Engineers from the department of water resources plan to inject cement and
soil into the dam’s foundation and build a berm on top. The outlet tower also will be
replaced, according to the document made public December 1. All but the lake’s north
shore will be closed until construction is finished in 2015. According to one estimate,
repairs are predicted to cost as much as $300 million.
Source: http://www.pe.com/local-news/breaking-news-headlines/20111202-perrisenvironmental-report-on-seismic-repairs-to-dam-approved.ece
[Return to top]
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DHS Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report Contact Information
About the reports - The DHS Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report is a daily [Monday through Friday]
summary of open-source published information concerning significant critical infrastructure issues. The DHS Daily
Open Source Infrastructure Report is archived for ten days on the Department of Homeland Security Web site:
http://www.dhs.gov/iaipdailyreport
Contact Information
Content and Suggestions:
Send mail to cikr.productfeedback@hq.dhs.gov or contact the DHS
Daily Report Team at (703)387-2267
Subscribe to the Distribution List:
Visit the DHS Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report and follow
instructions to Get e-mail updates when this information changes.
Removal from Distribution List:
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Contact DHS
To report physical infrastructure incidents or to request information, please contact the National Infrastructure
Coordinating Center at nicc@dhs.gov or (202) 282-9201.
To report cyber infrastructure incidents or to request information, please contact US-CERT at soc@us-cert.gov or visit
their Web page at www.us-cert.gov.
Department of Homeland Security Disclaimer
The DHS Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report is a non-commercial publication intended to educate and inform
personnel engaged in infrastructure protection. Further reproduction or redistribution is subject to original copyright
restrictions. DHS provides no warranty of ownership of the copyright, or accuracy with respect to the original source
material.
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